Compulsion Dance & Theatre Debuts
Appropriately, Diversionary Theatre was the site this weekend for the West Coast premiere of Michael Mizerany’s new Compulsion Dance & Theatre (CD&T). It was dazzling, astonishing, compelling, hard-hitting and oh, so sexy.
Mizerany premiered his new company recently at Southern Illinois University, his alma mater. He was asked to premiere a new work, (Uncoupling) and decided to premiere his new company at the same time. The Diversionary production introduces all to San Diego.
Danced by Bradley Lundberg and Erica Ruse, Uncoupling explores the relationship between hot lovers who are emotionally distant. We’ve all been there, but seldom has this dilemma been sufficiently “discussed,” as it is here – without words. The chemistry is astounding. Everything we need to know is in the dancers’ bodies and their subtle facial expressions. This is Theatre with a capital T.
The Man Clan program begins with a performance of Mizerany’s 2015 Via Dolorosa (music, Morten Lauridsen’s O Magnum Mysterium) set on Chad Ortiz. The affecting work was originally commissioned by Diversionary Theatre for their performance series, Hot Guys Dancing. With his slender, beautifully proportioned body Ortiz is stunning. His beauty and the beauty of the choreography reduced this onlooker to tears. He was next to nude, clad only in a belted thong. Much of the evening flirted with total nudity, amusing and titillating to say the least.
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| Ortiz in Via Dolorosa Sue Brenner photography |
Then the beguilingly sexy Nicholas Strasburg performed Mizerany’s award-winning 1996 Bump in the Road, the examination of a flirtatious narcissist’s self gratification.
All this wonder primes onlookers for the main event, the world premiere of Man Clan,the title of a work (music Woodkid) and also the evening’s title. Dancers were Martin Anthony Dorado, Lundberg, Ortiz and Strasburg
New to me, Dorado is beautiful and a terrific match for Ortiz. The piece explores men’s tenderness and youthful naiveté (Dorado and Ortiz) as well as their warlike, competitive and sadomasochist lovemaking practices once they become jaded. In this, Lundberg and Strasburg, two of the most riveting males in my dance experience, are frightening and fascinating as they portray a mixture of love, lust and violence. Juxtaposed the innocence of the younger men, Man Clan asks us to reexamine our individual ideas of manliness and machismo. The jury is still out.
New to me, Dorado is beautiful and a terrific match for Ortiz. The piece explores men’s tenderness and youthful naiveté (Dorado and Ortiz) as well as their warlike, competitive and sadomasochist lovemaking practices once they become jaded. In this, Lundberg and Strasburg, two of the most riveting males in my dance experience, are frightening and fascinating as they portray a mixture of love, lust and violence. Juxtaposed the innocence of the younger men, Man Clan asks us to reexamine our individual ideas of manliness and machismo. The jury is still out.
I urge you to attend this auspicious premiere of Compulsion Dance & Theatre. The best thing about it is how the evening flows and builds.
Man Clan has tworemaining performances, tonight at 8 and tomorrow night at 7. Oops.sorry, there's a Sunday matinee at 2pm. Diversionary Theatre, 4545 Park Boulevard, San Diego www.diversionary.org or 619-220-0097.